Quimbo: Marcos admin strongly committed to fund free college education

The administration of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. is committed to continue  funding the Free College Education law, House appropriations panel senior vice chairperson Stella Quimbo of Marikina City said Tuesday.

Quimbo made the response when questioned by House Deputy Minority Leader Paul Daza of Northern Samar during Tuesday’s deliberations on the proposed P5.768 trillion budget for 2024 which was held just a day after the State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) lamented that the proposed 2024 budget for the Free College law for SUCs is deficient by P4 billion.

“Yes, absolutely, there is strong commitment from the DBCC (Development Budget Coordination Committee) that it will support free education,” Quimbo, the sponsor of the proposed P5.768 trillion budget for 2024 before the House plenary, said.

“We will make sure that we will have sufficient funds to support that law. That is very important for our youth...for them to have access to free college education. It is very important for their future,” Quimbo added.

Daza, in response, thanked Quimbo for the assurance.

In a separate statement, Kabataan party-list Representative Raoul Manuel stressed the urgent need to address the budget deficit for free college education in SUCs.

The SUCs, Manuel said, cannot accept students based on absorptive capacity rather than competence due to funding limitations.

“Balewala ang pangako ng libreng edukasyon sa kolehiyo kung kakaunti lang pala ang posibleng makatamasa nito dahil di kaya ng ating mga pamantasan tumanggap ng mas marami. Ang laki po ng proposed infrastructure budget pero parang wala sa picture ang ating SUCs,” said Manuel, who earned his Bachelor of Science in Applied Mathematics degree as summa cum laude in the state-run UP Visayas.

[The promise of free college education is of no use when only a few can avail of it. The budget for proposed infrastructure is big but SUCs seem to be out of the picture.] 

“Kung gusto natin ng infrastructure or investment na may multiplier effect, dapat sa edukasyon ito. Maraming henerasyon pa sa hinaharap ang makikinabang sa pagkatuto ng ating kabataan,” Manuel added.

[If we want infrastructure or investment with multiplier effect, that should be in education. Future generations will benefit with proper education for our youth.] 

Manuel said funding college education will always be worth every penny.

“Pagdating sa edukasyon, there is no such thing as an “undeserving student” anuman ang katayuan sa buhay, mayaman man o mahirap o middle class,” Manuel, one of the authors of the Free College education law, said.

(In terms of education, there is no such thing as undeserving student. Whether you are rich, poor or middle class.)

“Sa totoo lang, ang hindi natin deserve ay ang pagtingin na ang edukasyon ay pribilehiyo na para lang sa iilan o di kaya’y produkto na dapat ipamigay lang sa kayang bumili,” he added.

(What we don’t deserve is to be fed with this view that education is a privilege for the few, or a product that should only be available to those who can afford it.) — RSJ, GMA Integrated News